War Photographer Flashcards
Form
Context/Structure
- Written by carol Ann Duffy
- The structure being regular through out the poem shows that the photographer thinks he’s in control when he’s not
- Rhyme breaks down near the end, shows loss of control
First quote
“In his dark room he is finally alone with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows”
First quote analysis
SYMBOLISM: the “dark room” symbolises the photographers purpose is dark, we are immediately questioning the moral purpose of the photographer, is he a dark a person or only recording dark events.
ADVERB: The fact that he is “finally alone” suggests to us that he is pleased to alone, he has been waiting after the horrors he seen at war to be alone with no trauma, as if he trying to escape his thoughts, this could also suggest to us that he is someone that humanity can not be acceptable in his eyes anymore because of the trauma he has seen at war and so he would rather stay alone to control his thoughts
SIBILANCE: creates a sinister tone, reflecting his sinister actions, not only is taking the photograph sinister but being a public observer of “suffering” and not interfering
SEMANTIC FEILD OF GRAVE YARDS: the use of the metaphor “set out in ordered rows” creates the image of gravestones being set out in ordered rows, almost like a war cemetery, almost as if in every photograph he has taken he is leading to the death of others, we have also an image of a photographer who is earing a living off the death of others. Moral dilemma throughout the poem
Second Quote
” a priest preparing to intone a Mass. Belfast, Beirut. Phonm Penh. All flesh is grass
Second quote analysis
RHYMING COUPLET AND HALF RHYME: Used to unsettle the reader, and to make feel uneasy about the photographer’s purpose and makes us question his purpose, which is also shown in the use of the TROCHIAC AND IAMBIC RYTHME.
ALLITERATION OF “priest preparing”: The consonance of the repeating plosive sounds feels violent which reflects the horrors of war and how the people in the “spools of suffering” have died.
METAPHOR: he is like a priest, which is used ironically because what he is doing is recording death. Its as the he intoning a mass, the priest will help the soul into heaven in the form of reciting a religious ceremony. Of course the photographer nis not that, but is only recording death, no record of heaven in what he is doing, perhaps Ann Duffy is alluding to the fact that God does not exist, because if god did exist how will god allow this mass suffering and death in war.
BIBLICAL ALLUSION: “All flesh is grass” is used often to excuse death, this metaphor means we are essentially born to die, and therefore we should not complain about death. In the Christian message we don’t complain about death because we go to heaven and so it can be seen as a positive experience, however if Duffy has already alluded to the fact that god doesn’t exist then “all flesh is grass” is an ultimate tragedy and its treating human as if they are no more than crops and vegetable, we are completely worthless and their lives and their deaths to not matter to the killers, perhaps also to the photographer, possibly as if the photographer is thinking these thoughts and so death does not shock him anymore due to him being numb to death. He sacrifices his own humanity in order for his readers to feel the pain and the suffering of the people at war
Third Quote
“A half-formed ghost. he remembers the cries of this man’s wife, how he sought approval”
Third quote analysis
SEMANTIC FIELD OF DEATH: The reminds us that the person in the photo is probably dead
CONTRAST: he is focusing on the persons wife and her “cries”, which is at the end of the line to emphasise the pain that she is feeling and he contrasts that with him seeking approval. He is asking permission to photograph this execution, but the permission is not given and he takes the picture anyways. moral dilemma, is he taking the picture to show the horror of war and therefore prevent it or is there an intrusion on this private grief, and he stealing something that does not belong to him and is displaying it to the world
Fourth quote
“The reader’s eyeballs prick with tears between the baths and pre-lunch beers”
Forth quote analysis
INTERNAL RHYME: Makes this line feel happy, which is done ironically, because what the readers should be feeling is shock and horror, and Duffy uses that to juxtapose that feeling of tears and how their “eyeballs prick with tears” which helps to emphasise how little tears they had and also conveys that they don’t fully form, although “he sought approval” and was intrusive on the persons execution, it has not had the desired result of transforming how the readers view the war.
SEMANTIC FIELD OF RELAXTION: The readers are relaxed in their bath which juxtaposes the horrors that they are reading about and seeing. And the readers instantly forget about the picture and move on as they wash off the memory in the “bath” and then proceed to get drunk with “beers” which helps to show modern day people are trying to escape the consequences of the suffering and trying to forget about it and also shows that the photographer has not fulfilled his purpose to change their views on war and has no impact. His life is a tragedy, he has ruined his own ability to feel, and also his reward of changing how other people view the world and war has not happened
Fifth quote
“From the aeroplane he stares impassively at where he earns his living and they do not care”
Fifth quote analysis
RHYMING COUPLET: ending with a couplet suggests completeness and control , juxtaposes the incompleteness of the photographer’s emotions and the lack of control he has over his emotions, war and how he has affected the readers at home.
METAPHOR: Use of adverb “impassively”, suggests he is staring with no feeling, suggesting how the photographer has been destroyed by his role. he feels no pleasure at home or at providing a service for the country at war, left with desperation of trying to change people’s views but “they do not care”
TROCHIAC AND IAMBIC RHYTHM: Deliberate change of meter and rhythm to show how unsettled the photographer is, with both his role as a war photographer but also he unsettled because he has not served his purpose, while he is alive they are dead because of him but he still has not changed anything .
